ESLC2025ONTHEMOVE

Teachers and researchers agree that students need to develop a large vocabulary and that they need to be able to use words in a wide range of contexts. Yet many students struggle to develop the second language vocabulary they need to succeed academically in school. In order to achieve this goal, opportunities for both intentional and incidental learning are required. Using studies that show the nature of vocabulary in natural contexts, I will show why students are unlikely to “pick up” the vocabulary they need in ordinary school and out of school settings.  Then, I will show how research on how vocabulary is learned has led to a set of key principles that can guide teachers and materials writers in developing intentional learning activities to support vocabulary learning in classrooms.

Please join us for a buffet breakfast to be enjoyed in the main ballroom during welcome and keynote.

Dual language learners (DLLs) are more heterogenous in their language development than their monolingual peers. This heterogeneity in their rate of development and their outcomes means some DLLs overlap with children who have communication disorders in their English second language (L2) abilities. In this keynote we will explore answers to the following questions: (1) What are the reasons that DLLs vary so much in their L2 abilities and what can teachers do to support slower DLLs? (2) What causes overlap between the profiles of child L2 speakers and children with communication disorders and how does this complicate identifying language differences versus disorders? (3) Do children with communication disorders have the capacity to learn two languages?

This workshop picks up on this issue raised in the keynote and focuses on some solutions and practical resources for identifying whether a DLL student should be referred for speech-language assessment / special education / psychological services. Includes some background on communication disorders and assessment.

Vocabulary knowledge and acquisition has often been seen in black and white terms: a word is either unknown/unlearned or it is known/learned. But vocabulary knowledge is too complex to be understood in a dichotomous manner. Rather it is Complex (there are many things to know about a word), Integrated (different aspects of word knowledge are interrelated with each other), Incremental (vocabulary knowledge is learned incrementally over time in a bit-by-bit manner), and a Process (vocabulary learning is a process, rather than a one-off event).

By themselves, these characteristics are well-known to the field. But the implications of these characteristics have not generally been acknowledged. The presenter proposes a unified approach, called a CIIP perspective. He will then outline what a CIIP perspective means in terms of a range of pedagogic and assessment issues. For example, a CIIP perspective has implications for the way vocabulary exercises are designed over time to enhance both a range of word knowledge aspects, and their degree of mastery.

This workshop extends the discussion about capacity for dual language learning in children with communication disorders by focusing on the first/heritage language, its importance to child and family wellbeing, spotlight on parent experiences and beliefs about their children’s bilingualism, and how teachers can play a role in supporting both the L1 and L2 development in DLLs.

In his plenary talk, the speaker presented the CIIP perspective of vocabulary knowledge and acquisition. In it, he touched on some implications of this perspective for vocabulary assessment. In this breakout session, he will go into much more detail about how to evaluate vocabulary test items, based on a CIIP viewpoint. The session will be workshop-based and hands-on in style, as the presenter takes the audience through a number of popular vocabulary test formats, together working out what each format does (and more importantly does not!) tell us about learners’ vocabulary knowledge. He will introduce the audience to a number of extant vocabulary size tests, and will offer advice on writing bespoke vocabulary tests if none of the existing ones are suitable for your context.

In this workshop, we will work together to create instructional materials for developing vocabulary in both mainstream and ESL classes.  I will begin by outlining key principles to guide instruction and show how these can be used to underpin the selection of texts, the choice of exercises, and methods of assessing achievement.  Participants will work in small groups to create a set of materials that can serve as a template for developing materials in their own settings.

Please join your colleagues and speakers for a cocktail reception in the main ballroom. Enjoy beautiful views of the river and chat by the fire on the expansive balcony.

Note: This is a ticket-holder event only. Minors/children are unable to attend. 

Please Note: If you are attending the Mother's Day Brunch rather than attending the Buffet Breakfast, please DO NOT sign up. Please sign up only if you are attending breakfast with us on Sunday morning.